Sgt. Bryan Cook from OSP’s Springfield Post credits the decrease to a variety of factors including more drivers adhering to the speed limit and voluntarily wearing their seat belts, as well as people driving shorter distances due to relatively high gas prices.
Additionally, OVI arrests are up for OSP, taking intoxicated drivers off the road, he said.
“Even with shrinking budgets ... departments are stepping up enforcement,” Cook said. “Those combinations reduce fatalities.”
Clark County Sheriff’s Office Gene Kelly credits the decrease in part to a variety of county-wide initiatives including the Clark County OVI Task Force, monthly OVI checkpoints, saturation patrols and advanced detection of OVI drivers.
Flexed hours for his deputies and advanced training in detection of OVI drivers as well as citizens reporting drivers has also helped in the decrease, Kelly said.
“Our seat belt (training) starts with 4- and 5-year-olds in Safety Village, and we work on students constantly about using seat belts,” Kelly said. “This year at the Clark County Fair we had our Driving Simulator, and had students and adults attempt (to) drive and text or use a cell phone. They saw first-hand that you can not do both safely, in a controlled environment.”
Champaign County Sheriff Brent Emmons could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
Fifty of the state’s 88 counties saw at least one fewer fatality and 13 counties have seen no change, according to OSP.
Cuyahoga County has seen the biggest decline in highway deaths in the state. OSP says the county that includes Cleveland has had 19 fewer fatalities than in 2010.
Stark County, which includes Canton, has seen the largest increase. The number of fatalities there is up to eight year-to-date.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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